New Mexico 2025 Regular Session

New Mexico Senate Bill SB324 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	underscored material = new
2	2	[bracketed material] = delete
3	3	1
4	4	2
5	5	3
6	6	4
7	7	5
8	8	6
9	9	7
10	10	8
11	11	9
12	12	10
13	13	11
14	14	12
15	15	13
16	16	14
17	17	15
18	18	16
19	19	17
20	20	18
21	21	19
22	22	20
23	23	21
24	24	22
25	25	23
26	26	24
27	27	25
28	28	SENATE BILL 324
29	29	57TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 2025
30	30	INTRODUCED BY
31	31	Katy M. Duhigg
32	32	AN ACT
33	33	RELATING TO EMPLOYMENT; PROHIBITING NONDISCLOSURE AND NON-
34	34	DISPARAGEMENT AGREEMENTS; AMENDING A SECTION OF THE NMSA 1978.
35	35	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
36	36	SECTION 1. Section 50-4-36 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2020,
37	37	Chapter 16, Section 1) is amended to read:
38	38	"50-4-36. WORKPLACE SEXUAL ASSAULT, SEXUAL HARASSMENT,
39	39	SEXUAL DISCRIMINATION AND SEXUAL RETALIATION CLAIMS--
40	40	NONDISCLOSURE AND NON-DISPARAGEMENT AGREEMENTS AND CERTAIN
41	41	ACTIONS PROHIBITED.--
42	42	A. A private employer shall not, as a term of
43	43	employment, require [an ] a prospective, current or former
44	44	employee or independent contractor to sign a nondisclosure or
45	45	non-disparagement provision of a settlement agreement relating
46	46	to a claim of sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual
47	47	.229547.4 underscored material = new
48	48	[bracketed material] = delete
49	49	1
50	50	2
51	51	3
52	52	4
53	53	5
54	54	6
55	55	7
56	56	8
57	57	9
58	58	10
59	59	11
60	60	12
61	61	13
62	62	14
63	63	15
64	64	16
65	65	17
66	66	18
67	67	19
68	68	20
69	69	21
70	70	22
71	71	23
72	72	24
73	73	25
74	74	discrimination or sexual retaliation in the workplace brought
75	75	by the prospective, current or former employee or independent
76	76	contractor or prevent the prospective, current or former
77	77	employee or independent contractor from disclosing a claim of
78	78	sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination or
79	79	sexual retaliation occurring in the workplace or at a work-
80	80	related event coordinated by or through the employer.
81	81	B. This section does not prohibit a settlement
82	82	agreement [between an ] with a prospective, current or former
83	83	employee or [former employee ] independent contractor alleging
84	84	sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination or
85	85	sexual retaliation from containing a confidentiality
86	86	[provisions. A confidentiality provision is permitted when ]
87	87	provision if the provision :
88	88	(1) [it] relates to the monetary amount of a
89	89	settlement; or
90	90	(2) at the prospective, current or former
91	91	employee's or independent contractor's request, [it] prohibits
92	92	disclosure of factual information related to the underlying
93	93	sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination or
94	94	sexual retaliation claim or facts that could lead to the
95	95	identification of the prospective, current or former employee
96	96	or independent contractor .
97	97	C. [At the sole request of the employee, a
98	98	settlement agreement subject to this section may contain a
99	99	.229547.4
100	100	- 2 - underscored material = new
101	101	[bracketed material] = delete
102	102	1
103	103	2
104	104	3
105	105	4
106	106	5
107	107	6
108	108	7
109	109	8
110	110	9
111	111	10
112	112	11
113	113	12
114	114	13
115	115	14
116	116	15
117	117	16
118	118	17
119	119	18
120	120	19
121	121	20
122	122	21
123	123	22
124	124	23
125	125	24
126	126	25
127	127	confidentiality provision that prevents the disclosure of
128	128	factual information related to the underlying sexual
129	129	harassment, discrimination or retaliation claim. ] The
130	130	provisions of this [subsection ] section shall not be construed
131	131	to prevent disclosure of information that is the subject of the
132	132	confidentiality provision if disclosure is required to be made
133	133	in a judicial, administrative or other governmental proceeding
134	134	pursuant to a valid subpoena or other applicable order as
135	135	otherwise required by law.
136	136	D. Except as provided in [Subsections B and ]
137	137	Subsection C of this section, a confidentiality provision in a
138	138	settlement agreement subject to this section is void and
139	139	unenforceable as a matter of law.
140	140	E. In any civil action involving a claim of sexual
141	141	assault, sexual harassment, sexual discrimination or sexual
142	142	retaliation, a plaintiff may present evidence that the employer
143	143	against whom the action was filed entered into one or more
144	144	agreements that included a nondisclosure or non-disparagement
145	145	clause involving the conduct of the same individual or
146	146	individuals who are alleged to have engaged in the unlawful
147	147	acts. Such evidence may be used in support of an award of
148	148	punitive damages.
149	149	F. With respect to a claim of sexual assault,
150	150	sexual harassment, sexual discrimination or sexual retaliation
151	151	in the workplace, any nondisclosure clause or non-disparagement
152	152	.229547.4
153	153	- 3 - underscored material = new
154	154	[bracketed material] = delete
155	155	1
156	156	2
157	157	3
158	158	4
159	159	5
160	160	6
161	161	7
162	162	8
163	163	9
164	164	10
165	165	11
166	166	12
167	167	13
168	168	14
169	169	15
170	170	16
171	171	17
172	172	18
173	173	19
174	174	20
175	175	21
176	176	22
177	177	23
178	178	24
179	179	25
180	180	clause agreed to before the dispute arises shall not be
181	181	judicially enforceable in instances in which conduct is alleged
182	182	to have violated federal, tribal or state law.
183	183	G. Notwithstanding any other provision of this
184	184	section, at the election of the person alleging conduct
185	185	constituting a sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual
186	186	discrimination or sexual retaliation dispute, or the named
187	187	representative of a class or in a collective action alleging
188	188	such conduct, no predispute arbitration agreement or predispute
189	189	joint-action waiver shall be valid or enforceable with respect
190	190	to a case that is filed under federal, tribal or state law and
191	191	relates to the alleged sexual assault, sexual harassment,
192	192	sexual discrimination or sexual retaliation dispute.
193	193	H. The provisions of this section are to be
194	194	liberally construed to fulfill their remedial purpose. "
195	195	SECTION 2. APPLICABILITY.--The provisions of this act
196	196	apply to agreements entered into between a private employer and
197	197	a prospective, current or former employee or independent
198	198	contractor on or after June 20, 2025.
199	199	- 4 -
200	200	.229547.4